Chapter 3 - Vīrabhadra Comes to the Yajña

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Lomaśa said:

1-4a. Dākṣāyaṇī went to the place where the great sacrifice was being performed. After going to the abode of her father, the abode which was full of various wonderful things, she stood at the entrance. The Devas of exalted fortune became delighted. They got down from their seats. After seeing the congregation of the Devas, her parents, friends, relatives and kinsmen, she made obeisance to her father and mother with delight. Then the goddess spoke these words in a manner suitable to the occasion:

4b-9. “Why was Śaṃbḥu, the extremely splendid (lord), not invited by you? (He is the lord) by whom this entire universe consisting of the mobile and immobile beings has been sanctified. He is Yajña (incarnate), an (important) part of Yajña, the sacrificial gift offered therein, the material offered therein, the Mantras etc., the Havya and Kavya—he is identical with all these things. He is the most excellent one among those who are expert in performing Yajñas. Everything performed without him will become impure. How can a sacrifice function (at all), O dear father, without Śaṃbhu? How did these come here, O father, along with Brahmā? Don’t you know? O Bhṛgu, O Kaśyapa of great intellect, O Atri, O Vasiṣṭha? You are alone, O Śakra, what has been done by you today? O Viṣṇu, you do know the supreme lord Mahādeva. O Brahmā, don’t you know the valour of Mahādeva?

10. Formerly you happened to be five-faced. You (spoke) arrogantly to Sadāśiva and you were made four-faced. It is surprising that you have forgotten that miracle.

11. He is the lord Rudra who formerly begged for alms in the forest of Dāruvana,^[1] when this mendicant was cursed by you (and) your friends.

12-14. Even after cursing Rudra, how was (this incident) forgotten by you? He is the lord by whose limb alone the universe including the mobile and immobile beings, has been filled up. The entire universe became the Liṅga at that very instant. They call it Liṅga because of the dissolution (of the universe in it).^[2] All the Devas along with Vāsava (Indra) are born of the Trident-bearing Lord. Such a lord who is to be realized through the Vedāntas, cannot be comprehended by you.”

15-19a. On hearing her words, Dakṣa became angry and spoke these words:

“Of what avail is your verbal prolixity. It has no relevance to the present occasion. O gentle lady, (you may) go or stay. Why did you come at all? Your husband is an inauspicious fellow, not conducive to propitiousness, O lady of good waistline.

He is ignoble, excluded from the Vedas. He is the king of goblins, ghosts and vampires. Hence he was not invited to the sacrifice, O gentle lady of sweet speech.

O lady of excellent loins, it is to Rudra who is haughty and evil-minded and of unknown antecedents that you had been given in marriage by me, a dull-witted sinner. Hence, abandon this body (of yours), O lady of pure smiles, and be happy.”

19b-23. It was thus that his own daughter Satī who was worshipped by all the worlds, was addressed by Dakṣa then.

On seeing her own father full of contempt (for Śiva), Satī became excessively furious. Then the goddess thought thus: ‘Though I am desirous of seeing Śaṅkara, how can I go back to our mansion? What will I say if I am asked (about this incident) by him? He who censures Mahādeva and he who listens when Mahādeva is being censured—both of them go to hell and remain there as long as the moon and the sun (shine). Hence I will abandon this body and enter fire.’ Pondering thus and being overwhelmed by insult, she entered fire^[3] uttering the words “O Rudra, O Śiva”.

24-30. The entire quarters became pervaded with the great uproar of “Alas! Alas!”. All those (who had come with Satī) climbed on to the platform. Laden with weapons they crowded the place without any gap. They hit and struck themselves with their weapons. They cut off their own bodies. Some of them cut off their heads and eagerly performed the Nīrājana (waving of the lights in circles) rites with them. Immediately they were reduced to ash. Then everyone said thus: “Twenty thousand of the Gaṇas roared terrifically. Those dreadful ones cut off their limbs by means of weapons. Thus they all perished there along with Dākṣāyaṇī.”^[4]

That was a great miracle. All sages, the Devas beginning with Indra, along with the groups of Maruts, Viśvedevas, Aśvins and the Guardians of the Quarters—all these became silent then. Some of them (walked) round requesting Viṣṇu, the most excellent one. This was the end of the Yajña of that evil-minded one. The Yajña of the unworthy Brāhmaṇa Dakṣa (was ruined) and the sages became afraid.

31. In the meantime, O Brāhmaṇas, all these activities and behaviour of Dakṣa were communicated to Rudra by the noble-minded Nārada.

32. On hearing Nārada’s report the supreme Lord Śiva became extremely infuriated. In his anger he as if jumped up from his seat.

33. Uprooting a plait of hair from his (matted hair), Rudra, the cause of the annihilation of all the worlds, angrily dashed it on the top of the mountain.

34. As a result of this dashing, Vīrabhadra of great fame rose up. So also did Kālī surrounded by crores of spirits and goblins.

35. Through the wrathful breath of the noble-minded Rudra a hundred (types of) Fevers and thirteen Sannipātas (combined derangement of all the three humours causing deadly varieties of fevers) rose up.

36. Rudra of fierce and dreadful exploits was entreated by Vīrabhadra “O Lord! what task of Your Lordship is to be carried out? Tell me quickly.”

37. On being requested thus, lord Rudra hurriedly commissioned him, “Destroy Dakṣa’s Yajña.”

38. Receiving the behest of the Trident-bearing Lord of Devas with his head (i.e. humbly accepting the order), the heroic Vīrabhadra of excessive refulgence, who was kissed (ā-līḍhā) by Kālikā and was surrounded by all goblins rushed to Dakṣa’s sacrifice.

39-40. At that very time, ill-omens occurred suddenly. A rough wind blew carrying with it gravels and sand. The Rain-god showered blood. The quarters were enveloped in darkness. Thousands of meteors fell on the earth.

41. The Devas and others saw such phenomena foreboding evil. Becoming frightened, Dakṣa sought refuge in Viṣṇu.

42. “Save me, save me, O great Viṣṇu. Indeed you are our greatest preceptor and elderly one. You are (identical with) Yajña, O most excellent one among Suras. Save me from this fearful danger,”

43. On being requested and prayed to by Dakṣa, the slayer of Madhu (Viṣṇu) said: “Protection should be accorded to you by me. There is no doubt about it.

44. Disrespect has been shown by you, O Dakṣa, without understanding genuine Dharma (Virtue). Due to the contemptuous disregard of Lord Śiva, everything will become fruitless.

45. Where those who are not worthy of respect are worshipped, where he who is worthy of being worshipped is not worshipped, three consequences, viz. famine, death and fear, prevail there.

46. Hence, the Bull-bannered Lord (Śiva) should be honoured with all efforts. Great fear and danger beset you because the great lord was not honoured.

47. All of us are not powerful enough now, because of your evil behaviour. There is no need to discuss this matter further.”

48. On hearing those words of Viṣṇu, Dakṣa became lost in (anxious) thoughts. Turning pale in the face, he remained silent and sat on the ground.

49-51. Expressly commanded by Rudra himself the extremely powerful Vīrabhadra came to the sacrificial enclosure accompanied by the nine Durgās and others.^[5] The nine Durgās were Kālī, Kātyāyanī, Īśānā, Cāmuṇḍā, Muṇḍamardinī, Bhadrakālī, Bhadrā, Tvaritā and Vaiṣṇavī. A big multitude of Bhūtas also entered the sacrificial enclosure of great refulgence. Śākinīs, Ḍākinīs, Bhūtas, Pramathas, Guhyakas, a host of Yoginīs (in circular formation) along with the sixty-four (Tantras)^[6]—all these entered the sacrificial enclosure suddenly.

52-55. Hundreds and thousands of Gaṇas who accompanied Vīrabhadra were all the Pārṣadas (attendants) of Śaṅkara. All of them had the form of Rudra. They had five faces and blue throats. All had weapons in their hands. They were duly served with umbrellas and chowries. All were as valorous as Śiva. They had ten arms and three eyes. Their hair was matted. They wore the ornaments of Rudra. Bearing crescent moon (on their heads), all of them had (different kinds of) robes and ornaments.

56. Accompanied by these, the noble-souled, three-eyed, dreadful Vīrabhadra of terrible might, who had a thousand arms and was entwined by great serpents, marched towards the sacrifice.

57. His chariot was drawn by two thousand horses and a million lions.

58-59a. The armoured defenders of his sides were many lions, tigers, sharks, fishes and thousands of elephants. He had different kinds of umbrellas and chowries held over the head of everyone everywhere.

59bc. Then high sounding Bherīs (war-drums), conchs of various (degrees of) sounds, Paṭahas (kettle-drums), musical instruments like Gomukka, different kinds of horns were sounded.

60. Cymbals, gongs and wind instruments were played. All of them were engaged in singing pleasantly. All of them played on Mṛdaṅgas (special drums).

61. The Gaṇas proceeded ahead in front of Vīrabhadra indulging in different kinds of dances. Those Gaṇas of unmeasured power and potency roared along with the martial sounds of the musical instruments.

62-63a. By that great sound the three worlds echoed and reverberated. Thus all those Gaṇas ordered (urged) by Rudra came there to the sacrificial enclosure of Dakṣa and began to smash for the sake of destroying it.

63b-64a. The sky was covered with dust and all the quarters were enveloped in darkness. The earth consisting of the seven islands (continents)^[7] shook along with the mountains and forests.

64b-65. Those Devas, Daityas and night-wanderers observed this wonderful spectacle foreboding the ruin of all the worlds. Ail of them stood up simultaneously. They saw the dreadful army of Rudra advancing.

66-67. Some of them were coming over the earth. Some were coming through the sky. Others covered the quarters and the intervening spaces and rushed on. All of them were of inexhaustible strength; infinite (in number), they were heroic on a par with Rudra in battle. On seeing such an army surrounded by (the followers of) Rudra, alī of them said in great surprise and dismay: “Let us advance (against them) with weapons in the hands.”

68-70. Indra rode on his elephant. The Wind-god rode on a deer. Yama equipped with the rod of death rode on a buffalo. Kubera drove in the aerial chariot Puṣpaka. Varuṇa rode on a shark. The Fire-god rode on a goat. Nirṛti rode on a ghost. Similarly other groups of Suras, Yakṣas, Cāraṇas and Guhyakas, valorously rode on their respective vehicles.

71. On seeing the preparations of his own people, Dakṣa’s face was covered with tears. He prostrated himself on the ground and spoke to all of them:

72. “O (friends) of great lustre, it was on the strength of your support that this great Yajña was begun by me. For the accomplishment of this good rite, you are the final authority.

73. O Viṣṇu, you are the protector of holy rites and Yajñas as well as the virtue described in the Vedas. O Mādhava, you are the promoter of Brāhmaṇa’s rites.

74. Hence, O great Lord, proper protection should be accorded to this Yajña.”

On hearing the words of Dakṣa, the slayer of Madhu (Viṣṇu) replied:^[8]

75-76. “When you say that protection should be accorded by me to maintain holy rites, it is true. But the transgression is of your own doing in regard to this Yajña. You said something to Sadāśiva in the Naimiṣa forest, the holy spot of Devas. Is it not remembered by you?

77-78. Rudra, Sadāśiva, who has great splendour, who is of the form of Yajña, was [excluded from the Yajñas, O deluded one. That was the wrong advice of yours. Who is competent to protect you from Rudra’s wrath? I do not see anyone, O Brāhmaṇa, who can protect you, the evil-minded one.

79. You do not distinguish between good and evil acts, O evil-minded one. A holy rite alone is not (necessarily) efficacious always (to produce results).

80. Understand that a holy rite with the support of Īśvara (Śiva) is competent to produce results. Excepting Īśvara, there is no other bestower of the fruit of Karman (a holy rite).

81. Sadāśiva grants the benefit of the holy rites of those persons who are the devotees of Īśvara, who are calm and whose minds dwell on him.

82. Those people who solely depend upon Karman and are engaged in denying Īśvara, go to hell even if they perform hundred crores of Yajñas.

83. Those who put faith in the Karmans alone are bound by the fetters of Karman in birth after birth. They are roasted and cooked in the hells.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

This refers to Lord Śiva’s visit to Dāruvana to teach Pāśupata Yoga to the sages thereof. He adopted the queer behaviour called Dvāra (Vide Pāśupata Sūtra ch. III. 1-19 and Kauṇḍinya’s com.). The sages were infuriated at it and they cursed Śiva and suffered disastrous results (BdP I.ii.27 and Tagare’s Introduction to BdP on ‘Liṅga worship’). The story is narrated in LP and KP also.

[2]:

A popular etymology of Liṅga from √li ‘to dissolve’. It is to be derived from √lig, √liṅg, ‘to go’. MW 901 conjecturally traces it to √lag ‘to adhere’, ‘to stick’.

[3]:

As contrasted with older Purāṇas mentioned in Supra p. 7. fn 1, this text does not bring in ‘Yogic fire’ for self-immolation.

[4]:

The Yajña was disturbed by the Harakiri of Satī’s attendants. This is not mentioned in VāP and BdP in contexts noted in fn 1 of p. 7.

[5]:

The legend of destruction of Dakṣa’s sacrifice is mentioned in the Śatapatha and Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇas. But the cause was Dakṣa’s illicit relations with his daughter. The destruction of the sacrifice mentioned in Purāṇas (e.g. BhP IV.5, LP 1.99 and 100, NP II.5-16, BdP and VāP mentioned above) is caused by the insult of Sath Śaṅkara’s spouse and Dakṣa’s daughter.

[6]:

Tantras are scriptures promulgated by Śiva. SkP gives a list of 64 Tantras such as Jñānārṇava, Mālinī-vijaya, Yāmala and others. Some of them are still unpublished. They generally contain: (1) Creation of the world; (2) Dissolution of the world; (3) The procedure of worshipping the deity; (4) Penance (Sādhana); (5) Repetition of the name of the deity; (6) Six daily sacred duties (Ṣaṭkarma); (7) The Yoga of meditation. The Vārāhītantra gives the number of verses in each Tantra. Schools of Śaivism such as Trika Śaivism of Kashmir, the Śaktiviśiṣṭādvaita of Liṅgāyatas are based on Śaiva Tantras (Āgamas). Even Vaiṣṇavas had their own Tantras as one finds in Rāmānuja’s Śrībhāṣya and the ten topics of Pañcarātra Āgama have close similarity with these topics.

[7]:

Dvīpas—‘Dvīpa’ originally means a land-mass between two arms of water. According to Purāṇas the earth consists of the following seven continents (dvīpas): (1) Śaka, (2) Kuśa, (3) Plakṣa, (4) Puṣkara, (5) Śālmala (Śālmalī), (6) Krauñca, (7) Jambū. Scholars differ about their identification with modern parts of the world.

[8]:

The author of the Purāṇa takes every opportunity to reduce the gulf between Śaivism and Vaiṣṇavism and to assert the oneness of Śiva and Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu’s reply is thus remarkable.